One leg standing...
I saw several crane pairs in Homer during our visit there in May. This one was with its mate in Beluga Slough near the spit. I thought it looked rather interesting on just one leg! I'm not sure if they were looking to nest there or just were feeding but it looked like a perfect place to nest. Folks I chatted with said that they cranes are throughout Homer and are nesting there.
From a behavioral aspect I was glad to see that this crane isn't showing stress since the crown is relaxed, minimizing the red area. This crane pair was near a public boardwalk on the slough and I was surprised to see several folks walk past it without the crane making a fuss or getting stressed. I pulled up a seat at a good distance and stayed a while to observe their behavior.
Taken 15 May 2018 at Beluga Slough, Homer, Alaska.
One leg standing...
I saw several crane pairs in Homer during our visit there in May. This one was with its mate in Beluga Slough near the spit. I thought it looked rather interesting on just one leg! I'm not sure if they were looking to nest there or just were feeding but it looked like a perfect place to nest. Folks I chatted with said that they cranes are throughout Homer and are nesting there.
From a behavioral aspect I was glad to see that this crane isn't showing stress since the crown is relaxed, minimizing the red area. This crane pair was near a public boardwalk on the slough and I was surprised to see several folks walk past it without the crane making a fuss or getting stressed. I pulled up a seat at a good distance and stayed a while to observe their behavior.
Taken 15 May 2018 at Beluga Slough, Homer, Alaska.